Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has come down heavily on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s announcement that the government will withdraw the ban on wearing hijab in educational institutions in Karnataka.
Leader of Opposition R. Ashok said that the Congress government was trying to sow the seeds of religious identity politics in classrooms with this move.
“We want the children in classrooms to feel equal and so there are uniforms prescribed. We will fight this tooth and nail,” he said.
“The State’s coffers are empty and the ruling party MLAs are themselves saying not a single stone has been laid for works in the State since this government has come to power. With no funds for development, Siddaramaiah is trying to distract the people ahead of Lok Sabha elections,” Mr. Ashok said.
The reaction comes a day after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said that he ordered lifting of the restrictions on wearing hijab, while observing that choice of dress and food is personal.
Case background
The hijab row broke out in the State in January, 2022, when six girl students in a government pre-university college in Udupi were barred from sitting in the class with hijab.
This soon spread to other colleges in the district and later other districts as well, even as a section of Hindu students started sporting saffron shawls.
The State government took a decision to empower college managements to prescribe uniforms, including imposing a ban on hijab, which was upheld by the Karnataka High Court. However, a split verdict in the Supreme Court meant the issue remains unresolved and the petition by students who were not allowed to wear hijab in classrooms has now been transferred to a three-judge bench.
